Study Research

Carbonate Reservoirs

The course

Delivery
Full-time, Part-time
Course type
Research
Location
Edinburgh
Entry date
September
Find out how to apply More about this subject area

Contact

  • Contact

    Prof. Sebastian Geiger

  • Telephone

    +44 (0) 131 451 8054

  • Email

    s.geiger@hw.ac.uk

Overview

Carbonate reservoirs contain over 60% of the world's remaining conventional oil reserves and account for over 30% of the world's daily oil production. However, most oil is left underground: on average less than 20% of available oil is recovered. A small (1% to 2%) increase will make a substantial impact on global hydrocarbon reserves. Due to their global importance, improved flow prediction and recovery in carbonate reservoirs are likely to be among some of the most significant developments for the oil and gas industry in the next decade.

Research

Research projects

Our interdisciplinary research aims to improve our ability to characterise, model, and predict hydrocarbon recovery from carbonate formations, from pore- to reservoir-scale, using a range of state-of-the-art experimental, modelling, and simulation technologies, many of them developed in-house. We are currently working on three different themes, with several projects supporting each theme.

International Centre for Carbonate Reservoirs (ICCR)

This theme focuses on the static and dynamic characterisation and modelling of pore-scale processes in carbonates, the poro-perm evolution of carbonates due to chemical and mechanical processes (both at production and geological time-scales), and the geophysical characterisation of carbonate rocks. The theme is carried out in close collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and the University of Oxford, who are partners in ICCR. ICCR comprises Europe's largest and most interdisciplinary team of academics working on carbonate reservoirs.

IOR and EOR simulations in fractured carbonate rocks

In this theme we focus on fluid-structure interactions during IOR and EOR in carbonate formations (from pore- to inter-well scale), develop and prototype new model concepts to improve the simulation of IOR and EOR processes, and investigate the use of proxy models for robust optimisation of complex recovery processes in fractured carbonate reservoirs.

Next generation experiments and modelling

Here we focus on developing flow diagnostic tools for real-time modelling of flow processes in fractured carbonate reservoirs, using concepts from computer graphics to prototype geological models (for more information, please see the Rapid Reservoir Modelling project), and combining 3D printing of porous materials with flow experimentation and modelling.

Entry requirements

Please contact the institute to discuss.

Fees

Fees for this course can be found on the tuition fees page.

Scholarships and bursaries

We aim to encourage well-qualified, ambitious students to study with us and we offer a wide variety of scholarships and bursaries to achieve this. Over £6 million worth of opportunities are available in fee and stipend scholarships, and more than 400 students benefit from this support.

View our full range of research scholarships.